The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-17
wEAKNEssEso OF GREATMEN
Peculiar vnnitlcs and Remarkable Bits of Ego.
tlsm.

New York Herald. Nothing is more
interesting than the weakness OF the
strong. Men gaze with awe and adj
miration at persons who have reared
themselves above the surrounding
level; but the gazers are always pleas
ed by the indications OF common
humanity. 1t is probably true that
great men are esteemed for their faults
quite as much as for their virtues.
Alcibiades attracts more affection
than Draco. WASHINGTON is revered
as is no other American, but other
Americans have been more loved.
The reason is plain. 1t is instantly
suggested in the excuse given by the
Athenian for his prejudice against
Aristides. He was tired OF hearing
him called "The Just" Others were
tired, too, md hence the famous os-
'.racism.
The Scotch phrase about the "unco
guide" finds justification in all the
ages. In n narrow acceptation it in
culcates the wisdom OF pleasing man.
kind by conformity with the average
level. The majority hate to hear OF q
man being much better than his fell
lows. He who is his own worst enc
my, ms the facile saying puts it, has
likewise usually plenty OF friends.
But all this is aside from our pres sent
purpose.
The special form OF weakness with
which we are now dealing is self-con-
ceit, or, as Mr.. Justin Morrill,, tho
author, calls it, self-consciousness. tits
plain, of course, that there are diverse
forms of weakness, and as clear that
self-consciousness is betrayed in
numerous manifestations. There
is the weakness that we call
amiable and the weakness that we
find odious. Men may be popular
not only in spite OF, but, rs we have
seen, because OF, the first; they are in
variably made unpopular by the last.
With this tact in view, Mr.. MorrilPs
queer book may at first evoke in most
readers n kind of despair. They will
naturally say that if the greatest OF
the earth can not avoid the expression
OF self. love, how is it to be with COM
mon mortals?
The case is. however, not so desper-
ate as it seems; for, apart from the
discrimination to be Justly noted as
between Elemental and moral guam
titles, and the circumstance, illustrat-
ed in everyday life that man may be
distinguished and modest or obscure
and arrogant, the patent facts OF his
tories rise like monuments to remind
and reassure us. If there have been
Napoleons there have been Grants.
But let us put together some OF the
most remarkable bits OF egotism re-
corded in Mr.. Morrill's pages OF some
OF the most remarkable persons. To
this end we have selected thefollowing
group:
Napoleon the Great-One OF Napo-
Icons marshals handed to the emper.
or n book from an upper shelf with
the remark: 81 am higher than you,
sire" Longer, not higher, respond
ed Napoleon.
"In my council" he said, another
time, "there were men possessed OF
much more eloquence than was, but
/ always defeated them by this simple
argument-two and two make four"
"Alter all, what have l done?" he
asked. On q third occasion: us it
anything compared with what Christ
has done?" "rhey call me lucky"
Metternich reports him to have often
said Because am able; it is weak
men who accuse the strong OF good
fortune"
When his sisters sought honors rs
due TO their relationship Napoleon
CURLY said to them, zone would
think from your pretensions, ladies,
that we had inherited the crown from
our father"
Napoleon the Little-Louis Napole-
on fancied himself n great General. He
was with great difficulty dissuaded
from taking the command OF the
French army in the Crimean war. At
Plombieres he said to Count Cavour:
"Do you know there are but three
men in all Europe? One is myself,
the second is you, and the third is one
whose name Bismarck, no doubt,
will not mention"
Daniel Webster-The great expound-
err of the American Constitution,
was, in general. too well poised to
show vanity, whatever he might feel.
He, however, wrote early to his father,
saying: 81 feel a prompting within
me that tells me there is something
better for me than to be a Clerk oil
Court. My mind is made up"
On another occasion, being in Court,
he was reminded that he was assailing